January 16 – Guarded Hearts
(Proverbs 4:20-27)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
(Proverbs 4:23)

IN WORD:
Our hearts, the well springs of our lives, are given free reign by most of us. We’re under the illusion that we can’t help how we feel; our emotions are considered the foundation of who we are. And as our feelings rise & fall as often as the wind changes direction, so does our life. We are guided by feelings far more often than we’d like to think. We make decisions based on feelings and then rationalize them, rather than making decisions based on reality and then letting the feelings fall in behind. We let our emotions define us. That is a dangerous way to live.
David could testify to that. His extraordinarily Godward heart usually led him into the Father’s will. But it also led him into temptation and a sin with catastrophic results. Even his heart, so often in sync with God’s, was fickle. And fickle hearts produce misdirected people.
We think, when we turn our hearts over to God, that He governs us and shapes us automatically. That’s not what Scripture says in the above verse, however. That verse is a command. We are to guard our hearts. We are to be careful about what we let into them. Our hearts cannot be an open door to unbiblical and ungodly influences. We are not to be captive to them; they are to be captive to the Word of God. We are given the responsibility of being vigilant about their content.

IN DEED:
Does your heart ride along with your feelings like an anchor-less ship on the waves? Is it subject to deep swells and rapidly changing courses? If so, finding direction from God may be a challenge. You may be waiting for Him to shape your heart, while He is waiting for your to guard it! He will do His part, but only YOU can do yours. The wisdom of Proverbs makes your vigilance the highest priority: “above all else.” That is the attention we are to give to our emotional swells. It is paramount. BE ON GUARD!

“Oh, study your hearts, watch your hearts, keep your hearts!”
-John Flavel-